Delta-based non-profit Plan A Health is hosting a Community Baby Shower this month for local
families in celebration of Black Maternal Health Week. The organization will bring together
fifteen partners to share resources, education, and giveaways with families, promoting a healthy
future for pregnant people, caregivers, and their children.
The event will also serve as a
celebration of the organization’s third anniversary - since opening in April 2021, the Plan A team
has brought free services and education to more than 60 towns in the Delta and more than 4000
uninsured and underinsured residents, ensuring that all people have access to the healthcare
they deserve. The event will take place on April 18, 2024 at the National Guard Armory, 15
Terminal Road, Indianola, 2-6 pm.
The rates of maternal and infant mortality in the state of Mississippi are among the highest in
the nation; Black women and infants have more than twice the rate as non-Hispanic white
women and infants. The ongoing closure of labor and delivery floors and NICUs in the Delta as
well as shrinking access to obstetrical care have only increased the barriers to care for
residents. Children born in Mississippi have the lowest life expectancy at birth in the country -
that path to change that starts with healthy pregnancies and deliveries.
The Plan A mobile clinic will provide free screenings on-site along with infant and child CPR
lessons and lactation support. Providers will be available to answer all questions about birth, the
post-natal, and neonatal period to parents, empowering them with the knowledge they need for
a healthy future. The Mississippi Department of Health will be on-site to help with car seat
installation and safety checks. The Diaper Bank of the Delta will be providing free diapers and
wipes to all attendees. Other partners will be tabling to provide resources, education, and family
navigation to available services in the Delta. All parents will leave with a diaper bag full of
essentials as well as additional maternal and infant supplies. This event will also serve as
the launch date for Plan A’s upcoming programming to access pre and post-natal and infant
healthcare.
Plan A clinics offer free healthcare services to the Mississippi Delta with a focus on uninsured
and underinsured community members. The mobile clinic brings care directly to small towns,
eliminating barriers to care such as distance, time, and cost. Services include family planning;
STD testing; HIV testing, prevention, and treatment; pre and postnatal care; cervical and breast
cancer screenings; and primary care screenings. The brick-and-mortar clinic in Louise provides those services in addition to primary care, pediatrics, and dental services.
Additionally, the program offers free telehealth family planning and HIV prevention.
